Exploring the feasibility and usability of the experience sampling method to examine the daily lives of patients with acquired brain injury

Abstract

The experience sampling method (ESM) is a structured diary method with high ecological validity, in that it accurately captures the everyday context of individuals through repeated measurements in naturalistic environments. Our main objective was to investigate the feasibility of using ESM in individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI). A second goal was to explore the usability of ESM data on a clinical level, by illustrating the interactions between person, environment, and affect. The PsyMate device provided ABI patients (N = 17) with ten signals (beeps) per day during six consecutive days. Each beep was followed by a digital questionnaire assessing mood, location, activities, social context, and physical well-being. Results demonstrated high feasibility with a 71% response rate and a 99% completion rate of the questionnaires. There were no dropouts and the method was experienced as user-friendly. Time-lagged multilevel analysis showed that higher levels of physical activity and fatigue predicted higher levels of negative affect at the same point in time, but not at later time points. This study illustrates the potential of ESM to identify complex person-environment dynamics after ABI, while generating understandable and easy to use graphical feedback.

Ecological Momentary Assessment in Patients With an Acquired Brain Injury: A Pilot Study on Compliance and Fluctuations

“…The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend the findings of previous feasibility studies of patients with an ABI. The patients in the present study had a relatively high compliance rate (71.6%), which is comparable to that found in previous studies of patients with an ABI (e.g., 9,11,13). This high rate was achieved, although (a) a high-frequency protocol was used (eight assessments per day across seven consecutive days), (b) the sample comprised patients with moderate ABIs, and (c) no incentive was offered for participating.…”

“…We, therefore, see advantages of using EMA with patients with an ABI in both research and clinical settings. Additionally, smartphone applications that are designed for self-assessment might allow patients to assess and monitor their own symptoms, and the results could be shared with the treating clinician to adapt and improve the individual's treatment plan (11,37,38) and to assess the impact of the patient's illness on his or her family. This could be a first step toward meeting the need for more ecologically valid neuropsychological assessments (39).…”

“…Thematically, these studies have mainly focused on how patients' mood is related to different everyday situations. Even though these studies support EMA as being suitable for identifying these associations, only one of the studies (11) adhered to a high-frequency sampling plan. Such a sampling strategy has the distinct advantage of being able to record a detailed, representative sample of patients' self-perceived symptoms over the course of an entire day.…”

“…Some studies have already demonstrated the feasibility of using EMA in patients with an ABI (8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). However, four of these studies were based on the same sample that was originally tested (8,14,15) or a subsample of it (13) and should therefore not to be considered as an independent measure of feasibility.…”

End-User Development in Social Psychology Research: Factors for Adoption

“…Further, it minimises recall bias, as participants' experiences are captured in situ. As a recent example of such advantages, Lenaert et al demonstrate how ESM can be used to identify fluctuating emotions in patients with Acquired Brain Injury, to improve researchers' understanding and consequent treatment [3].…”